Many current speech interactive systems and devices are to make the machines understand the user's intention and achieve certain target, such as, using speech command to control the terminal device, or using speech processing to understand the user's intention and responding with information or action. The key point is to respond with the target information or action matching the user's intention. Another type of speech interactive systems and devices is for learning language. This application is to dialog and respond, or perform pronunciation assessment, via the speech inputted by the user to achieve the learning objective. This type of speech interactive system and device is usually implemented with the objective of responding to the user with correct information matching the user's intention.
The learning usually follows the following strategies: (1) using direct teaching to transmit information and using practice to achieve the learning objective; (2) using visual aid, questions and answer to achieve the learning objective; (3) using exploratory or discovery strategy, and using computer simulation information or virtual reality to construct knowledge; and (4) using evaluating questionnaire to examine the learning process and result to inspire the self-discipline learning. Basically, the learning is based on direct teaching or guided learning.
There are many prior arts on speech interactive systems, such as, Taiwan Patent No. I1247249 disclosed an interactive intelligent speech learning doll, using the web-based digital content download program and virtual doll as interface to provide interactive intelligent language learning and guidance. The disclosed art may determine in real-time whether the learner's pronunciation is correct and may provide correct conversation instruction by using interactive doll to provide speech recognition and the built-in or downloaded pronunciation database. Taiwan Patent No. M244957 disclosed a speech toy with bi-directional conversation capability. The disclosed toy includes a microphone, a speech control device, a player and peripheral devices installed inside a doll body. The inputted speech may be transmitted through the microphone to the speech control device to recognize the speech and issue commands according to the recognized speech to control the player to announce time or output other responses. The speech controller may also control the peripheral devices to project luminous lights or wave the doll body. Each inputted speech corresponds to a plurality of output speeches.
China Patent Publication No. CN1581130A disclosed an interactive language learning method with speech recognition, including: capturing and playing the speech data; recognizing the user's inputted practice speech and generating recognition data; and comparing the two data to generate an approximation value, and using the approximation value to determine the correctness of the user's practice speech. China Patent Publication No. CN 101064070A disclosed an interactive intelligent language learning doll system, connected through network, and using a doll as system front-end interface and a network server for back-end recording and storing system related data to provide an automated language learning auxiliary system for children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,143 disclosed a learning doll 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the learning doll comprises a head 102 and a body 104. When the power is OFF, the power may be turned ON by kissing 106 the doll to trigger switch 108, and notifying a microprocessor and speech synthesizer 110 that the trigger detection mechanism is triggered. Microprocessor and speech synthesizer 110 uses a power amplifier/filter 116 to transmit the audio to a microphone 114. Microprocessor and speech synthesizer 110 uses a listen amplifier 120 to detect the audio from microphone 114. Microprocessor and speech synthesizer 110 may also trigger an electric motor 122 inside head 102 so that the lips of the doll may vibrate irregularly to make the speech more vivid. Accordingly, the doll may perform language teaching through the combination of human speech and touch interaction.
However, the prior arts do not show an interactive mechanism based on the objective of learning by teaching for encouraging the learner to continuously practice the learning target. Users may learn by teaching the virtual or real target to make correct response.